Mechanism for an automatic socking machine

ABSTRACT

The mechanism comprises a floating mandrel that is movable to engage with a filler tube. A strand of netting sleeve material is mounted to encapsulate the floating mandrel. Traction wheels are used to support the mandrel and to move the netting sleeve material along the mandrel and over the filler tube. A cutter is mounted between the mandrel and the filler tube for cutting netting sleeves material from the strand of netting sleeve material.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains to the handling of socking material (netting sleeves), and more particularly, it pertains to the bundling up of netting sleeves prior to filling the sleeves with shell fish or other products.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The expressions “netting sleeve”; “sock” and “netting sleeve material” are used herein to designate a tubular open-mesh fabric. Netting sleeves are used in the food industry as packaging bags for onions and other produce, and for hams and turkeys, for examples. The applications of interest herein, however, belong to the aquaculture industry. Netting sleeves are installed over mussel culture ropes to protect the mussels from predators and for preventing the mussels from falling off the ropes as they grow in size and overcrowd the ropes.

Examples of netting sleeves used in the aquaculture industry are described in the following documents:

U.S. Pat. No. 3,811,411 issued to Henry W. Moeller on May 21, 1974; U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,514 issued to M. W. Hitchins et al. on Apr. 30, 1996.

In both applications described in the prior art documents, a length of netting sleeve material is bundled up on the discharge spout of a funnel. The end of the netting sleeve material is tied into a knot for example, and juvenile mussels (spats) and water are fed through the funnel and into the sleeve. The process creates flexible sock-like columns of cultured mussels. A rope is sometime fed through the funnel with the mussels, and is used to support the sock-like column of mussels to a floating structure. These socks are hung in sea water where the mussels continue to grow. At harvest time, the culture socks are simply collected and emptied. The netting material is often made of cotton which eventually dissolves to facilitate harvest.

Although the culture of mussels using culture ropes encapsulated into sock-like netting sleeves is well documented in the prior art, there is very little literature written about the manipulation of the netting sleeve material prior to making socks of mollusks. As understood, all prior art socking installations require the step of manually bundling up a specific length of netting sleeve material over the spout of a funnel.

Therefore, it is believe that a need exists in the aquaculture industry for a mechanism capable of bundling up netting sleeves automatically so that the making of mollusk culture socks can be carried out more efficiently.

A major challenge faced by designers of machinery for automatically bundling up netting sleeve material on a hollow retainer is the fact that the netting material is tubular. Any guide mandrel or arbor that is used to open up and to guide the netting sleeve material from a dispenser to a hollow retainer cannot have any fixed support on its outside surface and cannot have inside support extending from any point along the path of the netting sleeve material. When the netting sleeve material is fed from a spool of netting sleeve material, the challenge of expanding and working . the strand of netting sleeve material is greater as this must be done at a region of the strand of netting sleeve material that is between its ends.

Because of this difficulty, basically, it is believed that there has been very little progress made in the art of automatically bundling up tubular netting sleeves on the spout of a funnel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the present invention, there is provided a mechanism for dispensing lengths of netting sleeve material onto a filler tube of a filling machine. The mechanism comprises a floating mandrel that is movable to engage with the filler tube. A strand of netting sleeve material is mounted to encapsulate the floating mandrel. Traction wheels are used to support the mandrel and to move the netting sleeve material along the mandrel and over the filler tube.

In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mechanism for dispensing a length of netting sleeve material onto a tubular element. The mechanism comprises a spool of a strand of netting sleeve material and a mandrel for opening and guiding the strand of netting sleeve material from the spool. The strand of netting sleeve material is expanded over the surface of the mandrel. A tubular element is connected to an end of the mandrel for receiving a netting sleeve thereon. A first series of traction wheels is mounted thereto in rolling contact with a surface of the netting sleeve material expanded over the mandrel such that a rotation of the traction wheels causes the strand of netting sleeve material to move along the mandrel and onto the tubular element. A cutter is mounted thereto for operation between the mandrel and the tubular element for cutting a netting sleeve from the strand of netting sleeve material.

A major advantage of this mechanism is that several netting sleeves can be serially made, cut, tied and filled with shell fish or other products, while maintaining control of the forward end of a strand of netting sleeve material. After each cycle, the forward end of the strand of netting sleeve material remains fully expanded, under the traction wheels, ready to be fed onto the filling tube.

In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic socking machine for making socks of mollusks. The automatic socking machine comprises a primary funnel; a conveyor for delivering mollusks into the primary funnel; a sock-filling tube communicating with the primary funnel; and a mechanism for dispensing a length of netting sleeve material onto the sock-filling tube. The mechanism comprises a spool of a strand of the netting sleeve material and a mandrel for opening and guiding the strand of netting sleeve material from the spool. The strand of netting sleeve material is expanded over a surface of the mandrel and covers an entire outside surface of the mandrel. The mandrel is movable to engage with an end of the sock-filling tube for delivering a netting sleeve onto the sock-filling tube.

A first series of traction wheels is mounted thereto in rolling contact with a surface of the netting sleeve material over the mandrel such that a rotation of the traction wheels causes the strand of netting sleeve material to move along the mandrel and onto the sock-filling tube. A cutter is mounted thereto for operation between the mandrel and the sock-filling tube for cutting a netting sleeve from the strand of netting sleeve material.

In this aspect of the present invention, the mandrel is mounted along an angle between a horizontal plane and a vertical plane and the sock-filling tube is moveable as a pendulum between the vertical plane and that angle.

In yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for dispensing a netting sleeve onto a tubular element. This method comprises the steps of:

-   -   sliding a strand of netting sleeve material over a mandrel;     -   connecting the mandrel with the tubular element;     -   sliding the strand of netting sleeve material over and along the         mandrel, and onto the tubular element;     -   separating the tubular element from the mandrel;     -   cutting a netting sleeve from the strand of netting sleeve         material, between mandrel and tubular element; and     -   closing an end of the netting sleeve.

This brief summary has been provided so that the nature of the invention may be understood quickly. A more complete understanding of the invention can be obtained by reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof in connection with the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals denote like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial elevation view of a spat socking machine with a partial view of the mechanism according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of the mechanism for an automatic socking machine according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged details of the connection of the mandrel and the filler tube in the mechanism for a socking machine according to the first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a partial side view of a mechanism for an automatic socking machine according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, as seen along line 4-4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective side, top and end view of the mechanism for a socking machine according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the mechanism according to the second preferred embodiment;

FIG. 7 is an elevation view of a preferred basket and bundle of tubular socking material made on the mechanism for a socking machine according to the second preferred embodiment;

FIG. 8 is an illustration of a fishing boat and a fisherman using the preferred basket and socking material of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an elevation view of a mussel culture rope and a preferred basket being used to deploy a sock over the culture rope.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings in FIGS. 1-4, the mechanism for a socking machine according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described. In FIG. 1 in particular, a socking machine is partially illustrated to complement the description of the present invention.

The socking machine 20 comprises a conveyor 22 for feeding spats or juvenile mollusks 24 into a primary funnel 26. The conveyor 22 has flights 30 on its conveyor belt 32 and these flights move against a fixed deflector plate 34 mounted above the conveyor, to even out the number'of mollusks 24 between flights 30 and to control the flow of mollusks 24 into the primary funnel 26.

The primary funnel 26 has a raisable stopper 36 selectively blocking the discharge spout 38 thereof. A rotatable agitator finger 40 is mounted below the stopper 36 for rotation inside the discharge spout 38 when the stopper 36 is raised.

A pair of water nozzles 42 is mounted quasi-tangent to the rim of the primary funnel 26 to create a vortex of water and mollusks 24 in the discharge spout 38 of the primary funnel 26 when the stopper 36 is raised, to facilitate the flow of mollusks 24 through the discharge spout 38 of the primary funnel 26. Further illustration and description as to the operation and structure of the stopper 36 and the agitator finger 40 are not provided herein as these items alone are not the focus of the present invention.

The discharge spout 38 of the primary funnel 26 communicates with a secondary funnel 44. The secondary funnel 44 has a sock-filling tube 46 extending from a discharge end thereof. A netting sleeve 48 is bundled up on the sock-filling tube 46. The lower end of the netting sleeve 48 is tied with a staple or knot 50, such that when mollusks 24 are dropped into the netting sleeve 48, the netting sleeve 48 extends into a discharge tray 52 from where the sock of mussels (not shown) can be manipulated and stored for later placement in a mussel-growing habitat.

The netting sleeve material 54 is fed from a spool 60 of netting sleeve material 54 onto a floating mandrel 62 before it is transferred onto the sock-filling tube 46. The netting sleeve 48 is then separated from the strand of netting sleeve material 54 and tied as a bag of netting material.

The floating mandrel 62 is set along an angle of about 60° as can be seen from FIG. 4. The sock-filling tube 46 and the secondary funnel 44 are hung as a pendulum to a pivot (not shown)so that it can be moved from a sock-filling position oriented straight down, as shown in FIG. 1, or tilted to a 60° sock-loading position as also shown in FIG. 1 and in FIG. 4. The tilting of the sock-filling tube 46 in one position or the other is effected by pneumatic actuator (not shown) or otherwise.

When the sock-filling tube 46 is aligned with the sock-loading mandrel 62, a smooth transitional connection 64 is made between the sock-filling tube 46 and the sock-loading mandrel 62, as it can be appreciated from the illustration in FIG. 3. The sock-loading mandrel 62 has a first bell-shaped delivery end 66 mating with a bell-shaped receiving end 68 on the sock-filling tube 46. Precise mating is effected by a conical male portion 70 on the bell-shaped receiving end 68 engaging with a conical female portion (not shown) in the bell-shaped delivery end 66 on the sock-loading mandrel 62. Mating of the tube ends 46, 62 is done by moving the sock-loading mandrel 62 toward the sock-filling tube 46 or vice-versa.

The sock-loading mandrel 62, is held in a floating mode so that the continuous strand of netting sleeve material 54 can be moved unobstructed on its outside surface. As can be appreciated from FIGS. 2 and 4, the sock-loading mandrel 62 is held to a frame 80 by two pairs of clamps 82 or four pairs of traction wheels 84. The traction wheels 84 are mounted diametrically opposite from each other relative to a cross-section of the mandrel 62.

In this first preferred embodiment, the frame 80 is movable along the axis of the sock-loading mandrel 62 by a pneumatic cylinder 86 for example, to engage the connection 64 between the sock-loading mandrel 62 to the sock-filling tube 46, as may be appreciated from FIGS. 1-4. During the engagement of the sock-loading mandrel 62 to the sock-filling tube 46, the sock-loading mandrel is held fixed to the frame 80 by the clamps 82. The loading of netting sleeve material 54 onto the sock-filling tube 46 is effected by simultaneously releasing the clamps 82 and engaging a rotation of the traction wheels 84. The traction wheels 84 are driven by motors 88 and power transmission belts 90.

A rotation of the traction wheels 84 causes the netting sleeve material 54 to slide along the sock-loading mandrel 62, over the bell ends 66-68 and on the sock-filling tube 46. A pull-back mechanism 92 including a pair of movable grippers 94 are provided on the sock-filling tube 46 to assist in bundling up the netting sleeve 48 at the upper end of the sock-filling tube 46. These grippers 94 are operable and movable along the sock-filling tube 46 on a pair of rods 96, by air pressure or by other programmable linear actuator.

The motors 88 also contain servo drives or step counters such that these motors 88 are programmable to deliver a specific length of netting sleeve material 54 onto the sock-filling tube 46.

Two pairs of traction wheels 84′, diametrically opposite from each other, are also provided and mounted for rolling contact against the bulge-forming bells 66, 68 to assist the movement of the netting sleeve material 54 onto the sock-filling tube 46.

It will be appreciated that a mechanism for braking and moving the traction wheels 84′ along the sock-filling tube 46 can be designed and used to do the same function as the pull-back mechanism 92.

The bulge-forming bells 66,68 cause the netting sleeve material 54 to expand and shrink back onto the sock-filling tube 46. This retraction or shrinking of the netting sleeve material 46 causes the netting sleeve material 54 to adhere by friction to the sock-filling tube 46. This makes it easier to bundle up the netting sleeve material 54 into a netting sleeve 48.

After a predetermined amount of netting sleeve material 54 has been dispensed onto the sock-filling tube 46, the motors 88 stop, the mandrel retracts and a netting cutter/stapler 98 is operated to cut a netting sleeve 48 from the strand of netting sleeve material 54, and to place a staple 50 on the cut end of the netting sleeve 48.

The sock-loading mandrel 62 is retracted away from the sock-filling tube 46 by way of the movable frame 80 and linear actuator 86 with the clamps 82 closed against its surface.

After the mandrel 62 is retracted and the end of the netting sleeve 48 has been tied, the sock-filling tube 46 can then be tilted back in a vertical alignment, as shown in FIG. 1, for dispensing mollusks 24 into the netting sleeve 48 as previously explained.

During the initial placement of a new strand of netting sleeve material 54 onto the sock-loading mandrel 62 from a new spool 60 of netting sleeve material for example, the traction wheels 84 are preferably lifted off the sock-loading mandrel 62. The sock-loading mandrel 62 can then be taken away from the frame 80 to facilitate the sliding of the netting sleeve material 54 thereon. Preferably, a fixed location guide 100 is provided to locate the sock-loading mandrel 62 relative to the frame 80 when repositioning the sock-loading mandrel 62 with a new strand of netting sleeve material 54 thereon into the frame 80.

It will be appreciated that the sock-loading mandrel 62 is movable along its axis between the location guide 100 and the bell-shaped end 68 of the sock-filling tube 46.

It will also be appreciated that the movement of the frame 80 is not essential. The movement of the sock-loading mandrel 62 toward and way from the sock-filling tube 46 may be effected by the traction wheels 84, by adjusting the spacing, the width and the down pressure of the traction wheels 84.

Referring now to FIGS. 5-7, the mechanism 120 for an automatic socking machine according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described. This second preferred mechanism 120 comprises a floating sock-loading mandrel 162 for loading a netting sleeve 148 onto a sock-filling tube 146. In this second preferred embodiment, the sock-filling tube 146 is a bottomless basket 146, which has a similar function as the sock-filling tube 46 described in the first preferred embodiment.

The sock-loading mandrel 162 has a rounded nose end. The nose end is oriented toward a spool 160 of continuous netting sleeve material 154. A strand of netting sleeve material 154 is expanded over the floating sock-loading mandrel 162. Four pairs of traction wheels 184 are used to pull the netting sleeve material 154 along the floating sock-loading mandrel 162. These traction wheels 184 are movable toward and away from the surface of the sock-loading mandrel 162. The mechanisms for moving the traction wheels 184 toward and away from the surface of the sock-loading mandrel 162 have not been illustrated because this is not the focus of the present invention.

When the traction wheels 184 are moved away from the surface of the sock-loading mandrel 162, two pairs of clamps 182 are brought against the surface of the sock-loading mandrel 162 to retain the mandrel 162 in a fixed position. Similarly, the mechanisms for moving the clamps 182 toward and away from the mandrel 162 have not been illustrated because this is not the focus of the present invention.

The netting sleeve material 154 is moved along the floating sock-loading mandrel 162 by the traction wheels 184. Traction wheels 184, 184′ are provided on both the sock-loading mandrel 162 and on a netting sleeve-receiving basket 146. A bulge 166 may also be provided on the delivery end of the sock-loading mandrel 162 to provide the advantage described before.

A reference guide 200 may also be provided to initially position the sock-loading mandrel 162 with a new strand of netting sleeve material thereon between the traction wheels 184. The sock-loading mandrel 162 is movable axially between the reference guide 200 and the netting sleeve receiving basket 146. Similarly to the first preferred embodiment, the second preferred mechanism has a cutter/stapler 198 mounted thereto to close the end of a netting sleeve 148 bundled up on the netting-sleeve-receiving basket 146.

The primary difference in the mechanism according to the first and second preferred embodiments 20, 120 is in the structure of the netting-sleeve-receiving basket 146, and in the receiving station 190 for holding the netting-sleeve-receiving basket 146 during the bundling up of a netting sleeve 148 onto the basket 146.

A basket holder 192 is mounted near the tail end 194 of the sock-loading mandrel 162. The basket holder 192 is mounted on a carriage 196 such that it can be moved toward and away from the tail end 194 of the sock-loading mandrel 162. The basket holder 192 is configured to retain the basket 146 in alignment with the sock-loading mandrel 162. This bottomless basket 146 is preferably made of two halves hinged together along one side thereof, at hinge 150 for example, such that is can be opened for straddling the basket holder 192. The basket holder 192 has a spigot 198 on its end. This spigot 198 is configured for entering with a precise fit into the tail end 194 of the sock-loading mandrel 162. This spigot 198 is used to retain the tail end 194 of the sock-loading mandrel 162 in a fixed position relative to the basket 146 during the formation of a netting sleeve 148 over the basket 146.

A pair of traction wheels 184′ are used to move the netting sleeve material along the basket 146 for bundling the netting sleeve 148 on the far end of the basket 146, as illustrated.

Referring back to the basket holder 192 and the carriage 196, the basket holder 192 is movable toward and away from the tail end 194 of the mandrel 162, for the purpose of separating a netting sleeve 148 from the strand of netting sleeve material 154. For the purpose of separating a netting sleeve 148, a cutter/stapler 198 is provided near the tail end 194 of the sock-loading mandrel 162. When a length of netting sleeve material 154 has been accumulated over the basket 146, the traction wheels 184, 184′ are stopped; the clamps 182 close against the surface of the sock-loading mandrel 162, securing the sock-loading mandrel 162 in place; the carriage 196 is actuated to move the basket holder 192 away from the tail end 194 of the sock-loading mandrel 162; and the cutter/stapler 198 is brought down to cut the netting sleeve material 154 and to staple the end of the netting sleeve 148, as shown.

In order to better understand the purpose and the industrial applications of the mechanism for a socking machine according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, reference is now made to FIGS. 8 and 9. The illustration in FIG. 9 in particular, shows a mussel-growing rope 210 suspended underwater to a main line 212. When mussels grow to a certain size, they tend to loose grip from the rope and fall to the bottom of the ocean, thereby reducing the crop. In order to avoid this inconvenience, and to protect the mussels from predators such as diving ducks, most shell-fish growers enclose their mussel-growing ropes with bag-like sleeves of sock material, as shown in the prior art publications mentioned before.

The bottomless basket 146 with a netting sleeve 148 mounted thereon are used to facilitate the encapsulation of mussel-growing ropes 210. A long handle 214 is attached to a basket 146, to lower the basket 146 below the end of a mussel-growing rope 210. The basket 146 is then pulled up over the rope 210, working the handle 214 to deploy a netting sleeve over the mussel-growing rope 210.

The mechanism for a socking machine according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention is preferably mounted in a fishing boat 220, wherein several baskets 146 and netting sleeves 148 can be prepared beforehand or during a sailing to the mussel-growing farm.

In summary a preferred method of operation of the mechanism for a socking machine according to the second preferred embodiment is described as follows, with reference to FIGS. 5-7.

a) With the clamps 182 and traction wheels 184 retracted from the surface of the sock-loading mandrel 162, the mandrel 162 is manually inserted inside a continuous strand of netting sleeve material 154.

b) The sock-loading mandrel 162 is manually positioned in a fixed location relative to the carriage 196, using the fixed guide 200 for example, and the clamps 182 are closed against the mandrel 162 to retain the mandrel in that position.

c) A bottomless basket 146 is mounted to the basket holder 192 and the basket holder 192 is moved forward on the carriage 196 to engage its spigot 198 into the tail end 194 of the mandrel 162.

d) The traction wheels 184 are brought in contact with the surface of the sock-loading mandrel 162, and the clamps 184 are pulled back from the surface of the mandrel 162.

e) The traction wheels 184 and 184′ are rotated to move a certain length of netting sleeve material 154 over onto the basket 146 and to bundle this length of netting sleeve material 154 onto the basket 146 to form a netting sleeve 148 on the far end of the basket 146.

f) When the desired length of netting sleeve material 154 has been moved onto the basket 146, the traction wheels 184 and 184′ are stopped. The clamps 182 close on the sock-loading mandrel 162 to retain the mandrel 162 at a fixed location. The basket holder 192 is moved away from the sock-loading mandrel 162, thereby stretching the netting sleeve material 154 between the basket 146 and the sock-loading mandrel 162.

g) The cutter/stapler 198 is lowered, cutting the strand of netting sleeve material 154, and setting a staple to the end of the netting sleeve 148 that has been formed onto the basket 146.

h) The netting sleeve 148 and basket 146 combination is removed from the basket holder 192. The steps c) to h) are repeated with a new basket 146, to form another netting sleeve 148.

The mechanism according to the first preferred embodiment is used to make pre-filled socks of mollusks, and the mechanism according to the second preferred embodiment is used to encapsulate existing mussel-culture ropes.

As to other details of construction and operation of the mechanisms according to the present invention, these details should be apparent from the present description and drawings to those skilled in the art, and accordingly, further description relative to these aspects is deemed unnecessary. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A mechanism for dispensing a netting sleeve onto a tubular element, comprising; a spool of a strand of netting sleeve material; a tubular mandrel for opening and guiding said strand of netting sleeve material from said spool, said strand of netting sleeve material being expanded over a surface of said mandrel and covering an entire outside surface of said mandrel; a tubular element connected with an end of said mandrel for receiving said netting sleeve thereon; a first series of traction wheels mounted thereto in rolling contact with a surface of said strand of netting sleeve material over said mandrel; such that a rotation of said traction wheels causes said strand of netting sleeve material to move along said mandrel and onto said tubular element, and a cutter mounted thereto for operation between said mandrel and said tubular element for cutting a netting sleeve from said strand of netting sleeve material.
 2. The mechanism for dispensing a netting sleeve onto a tubular element, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said traction wheels comprise four pairs of traction wheels and wherein each pair is mounted diametrically opposite from another one of said pairs of traction wheels relative to a cross-section of said mandrel.
 3. The mechanism for dispensing a netting sleeve onto a tubular element, as claimed in claim 2, wherein said cutter further comprises a stapler for selectively closing an end of said netting sleeve.
 4. The mechanism for dispensing a netting sleeve onto a tubular element, as claimed in claim 1, further including a pull-back mechanism for bundling up said netting sleeve on said tubular element.
 5. The mechanism for dispensing a netting sleeve onto a tubular element, as claimed in claim 4, wherein said pull-back mechanism comprises two grippers movable back and forth along said tubular element.
 6. The mechanism for dispensing a netting sleeve onto a tubular element, as claimed in claim 4, wherein said pull-back mechanism comprises a pair of traction wheels mounted thereto for rolling contact against a surface of said tubular element.
 7. The mechanism for dispensing a netting sleeve onto a tubular element, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising two pairs of clamps mounted thereto for movement toward and away from said mandrel for selectively retaining said mandrel in a fixed position.
 8. The mechanism for dispensing a netting sleeve onto a tubular element, as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a reference stopper for positioning said mandrel at a fixed location relative to said tubular element.
 9. The mechanism for dispensing a netting sleeve onto a tubular element, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tubular element is a filling tube having a hollow core for filling said netting sleeve with product passing through said filling tube.
 10. The mechanism for dispensing a netting sleeve onto a tubular element, as claimed in claim 1, further including an enlarged bulge on a connection of said mandrel to said tubular element.
 11. The mechanism for dispensing a netting sleeve onto a tubular element, as claimed in claim 10, further including a second series of traction wheels mounted in rolling contact with said bulge.
 12. The mechanism for dispensing a netting sleeve onto a tubular element, as claimed in claim 9, wherein said mandrel is set at an angle between a horizontal plane and a vertical plane, and said tubular element is movable between said vertical plane and said angle.
 13. The mechanism for dispensing a netting sleeve onto a tubular element, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tubular element is a bottomless basket, said bottomless basket having a handle selectively attachable thereto and a structure appropriate for deploying said netting sleeve bundled up thereon over a mussel growing rope in a natural mussel growing habitat.
 14. An automatic socking machine for making socks of mollusks, comprising; a primary funnel; a conveyor for delivering mollusks into said primary funnel; a sock-filling tube communicating with said primary funnel; and a mechanism for dispensing a netting sleeve onto said sock-filling tube; said mechanism comprising; a spool of a strand of netting sleeve material; a mandrel for opening and guiding said strand of netting sleeve material from said spool, said strand of netting sleeve material being expanded over a surface of said mandrel, and covering an entire outside surface of said mandrel; said mandrel being movable to engage with an end of said sock-filling tube, for receiving said strand of netting sleeve material thereon; a first series of traction wheels mounted thereto in rolling contact with a surface of said strand of netting sleeve material over said mandrel; such that a rotation of said traction wheels causes said strand of netting sleeve material to move along said mandrel and onto said sock-filling tube, and a cutter mounted thereto for operation between said mandrel and said sock-filling tube for cutting a netting sleeve from said strand of netting sleeve material.
 15. The automatic socking machine for making socks of mollusks as claimed in claim 14, wherein said mandrel is mounted along an angle between a horizontal plane and a vertical plane and said sock-filling tube is moveable as a pendulum between said vertical plane and said angle.
 16. A method for dispensing a netting sleeve onto a tubular element, comprising; sliding a strand of netting sleeve material over a mandrel; connecting said mandrel with said tubular element; sliding said strand of said netting sleeve material along said mandrel and onto said tubular element; separating said tubular element from said mandrel; and cutting a netting sleeve from said strand of netting sleeve material between said mandrel and said tubular element; and closing an end of said netting sleeve.
 17. The method for dispensing a netting sleeve as claimed in claim 16, further including the steps of supporting said mandrel on traction wheels; and sliding said strand of netting sleeve material between a surface of said mandrel and rolling surfaces of said traction wheels.
 18. The method for dispensing a netting sleeve as claimed in claim 16, further including the step of bundling up said netting sleeve over said tubular element.
 19. The method for dispensing a netting sleeve as claimed in claim 16, wherein each of said step of connecting and said step of separating includes a movement of said tubular element relative to said mandrel along an axis of said mandrel.
 20. The method for dispensing a netting sleeve as claimed in claim 19, further including the step of moving said first tubular element away from said axis and installing second tubular element along said axis and repeating said steps of connecting, sliding; separating; cutting and closing in relation with said second tubular element. 